| File:Critter New Leatherneck.jpg |
| Picture from Paranormal Animals of North America |
The New Leatherback (Dermochelys novalis) is the Awakened version of the common leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coricea) and is the largest sea turtle in the world. It weighs over 540 kilograms and grows to the length of 3.0 meters. Its back is covered with a flexible carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones embedded in a thick, leathery skin. Similar to other turtles, it has a sharp bony "beak". Its body is muddy green, and the carapase tends to be brown.
The new leatherback is an aggressive predator of fish, small mammals and other turtles. It can swim quite rapidly in the water. Like the leatherback, the female returns to the same beach year after year to lay eggs, but the mated pair protects their young until they hatch. Because of this protective instinct, they are growing rapidly, moreso than other species of turtles.
The new leatherback is highly resistant against magic, and moves with astonishing speed. They also have the magical ability to compel an enemy to drown themselves in the ocean. New leatherbacks are highly sensitive to mercury compounds, becoming extremely ill and dying upon extended contact or ingestion. While the new leatherback is found throughout the tropical oceans of the world, a rare freshwater species has been identified (Dermochelys potami) which primarily lives in deep lakes.
Index[]
- Paranormal Animals of North America, 120-121